


Our Mister Kennedy

by eternaleponine



Category: Hornblower (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-16
Updated: 2012-01-16
Packaged: 2017-10-29 16:30:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/321856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eternaleponine/pseuds/eternaleponine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A midshipman sees a ghost.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Our Mister Kennedy

"Is the captain on board, Mister Matthews?" Midshipman Yelland asked. "I was sent to fetch him, but I can't find him anywhere."

"No, sir," Matthews replied. "He went ashore last night. Ought to be back in a few hours, I'd say." He glanced at the youngster, noting his pale face and slightly wild look. "Is something wrong, Mister Yelland?" he asked.

"No. Nothing wrong," Yelland said. "It's only..." He hesitated. The last thing he wanted was the bosun thinking he'd taken leave of his senses, but on the other hand, if he just said it out to someone else, in the clear light of day he might be able to convince himself he hadn't seen anything at all.

"Only what, sir?" Matthews prompted.

"I saw the strangest thing," Yelland said. "Or I thought I did." But he couldn't say any more than that. The words simply wouldn't come.

Matthews stood, waiting patiently, and finally asked, "What was it you thought you saw, sir?" He expected he knew where this was going; it was only a matter of the details.

"I went to the captain's cabin, as I couldn't find him anywhere else, and when I knocked on the door, it popped open. I confess I poked my head inside, and saw a figure in the cot. Fearing he'd taken ill, I stepped inside, only there wasn't anyone there, but I would swear on my life there had been!" He looked up at Matthews nervously, quite worried that the bosun would laugh at him for such fancies.

The bosun didn't laugh, although it was a near thing. He couldn't help smiling though, in a manner that he hoped was reassuring. "That's only our Mister Kennedy," he said. "Never you mind about him. He don't mean no harm to no one."

"Mister Kennedy?"

"A great friend of the captain's, and all who met him. He died some years ago, but seems to feel his duty to king and country extends even past death."

The young midshipman's eyes went wide. "A ghost?" He frowned, then scowled. "You're having me on," he said.

"Indeed not, sir." Matthews' expression was serious now. "I wouldn't joke about that."

"But then what was he doing in the captain's cot?" Yelland demanded, sure that he was being teased and not liking it one bit.

That brought Matthews up a bit short. He certainly couldn't tell the young man the truth of it; he has the captain's reputation to think of. Few enough had suspected, and certainly no one knew for certain, but Matthews was sure that Captain Hornblower's feelings for Lieutenant Kennedy had gone beyond simple friendship into something much deeper from very early on. He couldn't be sure, of course, but they'd been close from the outset, and questions Horatio had asked while they were imprisoned had gotten him to wondering. The fact that Archie had given up his own good name to save Horatio in the end had further convinced him, and when Archie had turned up as a ghost, not abandoning his friend even in death, he'd been absolutely certain.

It didn't bother him, really. It was none of his or anyone else's business to begin with, and one couldn't bugger a ghost – it stood to reason – so in the end there was no harm to anyone, was there?

Still, he had to think of some response to give to the midshipmen as to why the ghostly Lieutenant would be asleep in the captain's cot.

"He does put on airs, a bit," Matthews said finally, suppressing a smile. "Died a lieutenant but dreams of more, I suppose, even now. Still, there's no harm in him, and a great deal of good, I daresay. I expect it won't be the last you see of him."

"Does he show himself often then?" Yelland asked, hoping he didn't sound as nervous about the prospect as he felt.

"No, not very often," Matthews said. "But he seems to see trouble coming before anyone else, and will warn us if he thinks we won't take notice in time."

"How does he do that?" Yelland wondered aloud.

"You'll find out if you need to," Matthews said. "If you'll excuse me, sir?"

"Yes, of course, Mister Matthews," Yelland said. "I'm sorry to have kept you."

"Not at all, sir. Good day to you." Matthews walked away then, smiling to himself.


End file.
